Explosive projectile amd method



(No Model.)

J. K. BAKEWBLL. EXPLOSIVE PROJEOTILB AND METHOD OF FIRING SAME.

Pate-med D60. '1, 1896.

cfw

INVENTOR of Allegheny,

l the shell is thrown from the gun by the exso ture, it may be used as an explosive agent in NHED rates a'rs'isr @rrrca.

JAMES H. BAKEWELL, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXPLOSWE PROJECTILE AND METHOD or FIRING SAME;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,400, dated December 1, 1896. Application filed November 11, 1896. Serial No. 611,705. (No model.)

To all i is true of liquid nitroglycerin and its com- Be it pounds, and while I do not desire to limit my invention to the use of any particular form of shell I have shown in the drawings a convenient form of shell adaptedto this purpose.

In the drawings, a represents the body of whom it may concern: I known that I, JAMES K. BAKE'WELL, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Explosive Projectlies and Methods of Firing the Same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. Myinvention relates to an improvement in explosive projectiles or shells and the firing thereof, wherebynitroglycerin, dynamite, and other high explosives may be safely employed as the explosive agent.

Heretofore the practical use of dynamite as a charge for explosive projectiles has been considered too dangerous to employ the same in-connecti-on--with the ordinary gun where and the opening closed by a plug 01, I prefer to employ a cylinder-e,=jfi-nto I i placed in the cavity?) and secured by the plug df Thiscylinder is preferably-formed of metal, such as lead, copper, iron, ors'teel, and providedwithaconeave bottom forming an air-space h; butfit. may be'ofany material and is preferably of such shape and .size as to fit snuglyin the cavity b. Although it will be found that the shell charged with plosion of gunpowder, and therefore pneumatie guns and other appliances have'been devised for this purpose, all of which are more or less objectionable in practical use.

The object of my invention is to produce a shell charged with dynamite or other high explosive, which shell may be fired from an ordinary gun,,using gunpowder as a propelling agent, without danger of the premature explosion of the shell.

To this end it consists, broadly, in charging the shell with nitroglycerin, dynamite, or

ve and in redu against a hard body, may be advisable to employ a detonating cap placed on an anvil f, which may be on the end by the firing-pin e.

' jectile the body a o factured of steel in the usual manner, and then charged with a fibrous packing 2', the dynamite being brought to a temperature below 40 Fahrenheit before or after it is placed in the cavity of the shell andbefore it is fired from the gun. I prefer, however, to employ y the discharge of the gun.

I will now'describe my invention so that others skilled in the art may employ the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved shell. Fig. 2 is a like view of the cylinder for containing the explosive charge, and Fig. 3 is a like view of a modified form. Like symbols of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur.

I have discovered by actual experiment that when dynamite is reduced to a temperature of 40 Fahrenheit, or to a lower tempera- -the' chargingcylinder e, which is filled with dynamite or tains or is an explosive liquid or viscous material and is capable of being congealed by reduction of temperature. Theexplosive is then frozen in the cylinder by any, suitable refrigerating apparatus, after which the cylinder containing the frozen dynamite or nitroglycerin is placed in the cavity b and Se cured in the cavityby bht plug d. g It, is then ready to be fired 150m the gun,or,it maybe projectiles without danger of h retained at a temperature its being exploded by the firing of the gun,

and the same the projectile, having a cavity 12 for the re-' of dynamite may be" placed inthecavi-ty b I which the dynamite is charged, theeylinder being then dynamite will invariably explode when fired yet in certain cases itof the cylinder-e and adapted to be struck In the manufacture ,of myimproved pro;

f the shell may be manudynamite with or without liquid nitroglycerin or other like high explo-. sive which explodes by concussion and conof 450- Fahrenheit- 60. or a .detonasuitable roe ' used as an explosive agent or less until it is requiredfor use. The shell may be charged into the gun in the usual way over a charge of gunpowder or other propelling agency and fired with safety from the gun.

I have ascertained by experiments that while frozen nitroglycerin or dynamite cannot, be practically exploded by the usual shock of the explosion of gunpowder in a cannon it will explode when the shell, after being fired from the gun, strikes a hard body.

The facts just stated, that nitroglycerin to their high exreadily and instantaneously explode on being subjected either to concussion orpcrcussion v with such force as to render it utterly unsafe to use them in guns or ordnance of any de-:

scription,

have heretofore prevented such use.

Hitherto also frozen-nitroglycerin has been regarded as practically incapable of ex-' plosion. ,Recognizing these facts, Isaw that it was necessary, in order to utilize these high explosives for ordnance 'duce them-to a nomexplo'sive temperature bepnrposes, first, to re-- fore firing, and, secondly, to render them explosive after "firing. By my'improvement =1 secure both of these necessary conditions by freezing the explosive before firing it from the gun. I believethat its explosion is then effected by elevation of temperature, to some degree no doubt caused bythe rapid passage through the atmosphere and from the gun, and also by the great heatproduced in the metallic inclosing shell by reason and at the moment of impact with the object which itstrikes.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in nitroglycerin, dynamite, plosives which are affected by cold may he in projectiles with perfect safety.

I am aware that it is a known fact that dy= namitc and nitroglycerin are rendered'difiicult to explode by bringing them to atemperature below 40 Fahrenheit. I am not aware, however, that any practical use has been made of this knowledge, or that it has been known that while is practically non-explosive in the gun when used as a charge for explosive projectiles it the art, as by it and other high ex-.

frozen nitroglycerin will explode from the impact of the projectile against a hard body when fired from the gun. The freezing of nitroglycerin in practical use has always been avoided, owing to its nonexplosive properties while in that condition and the danger of dent to the thawing of the nitroglycerin by artificial means.

I do not. desire to limit my invention to the use of nitroglycerin or its compounds, such as dynamite, as other high explosiveswhich are rendered less explosive by cold may be substituted therefor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure cut, is

1. The method hereinbefore described subject to explosion by concussion, and then as and for the purpoes-specified.

jectile charged with ahigh explosive reduced accidental explosion in ciwhich consists in freezing a high explosive while the explosiveis-frozen firing it from the. gun and efiecting itsexplosion; substantially 2. As a new article of manufactureame;

f7 5 to a temperature sufficiently low to render it practically IlOIbQE3Q1OS1V6 when fired :fremi-a by Letters Patspecified.

for the purpose specified.

jectile charged with stantially as described.

embodying a liquid subject toexplosion'hy concussion, firing gun while insuch frozen condition and .'x *ploding the same by impact when it strikes; substantially as described. in testimony whereof I have hereunto-set my hand.

JAMES K. nAnnwn i;

W itnesses:

- J cs. H. BLACKWOOD,

W. B. Conwrn;

gun, substantially as and for the .purpes .5: The method hereinbefore described, which consists in freezing a high explosive the same in a shell from a.

3. As a new article of manufacture, aqp'ro i jectile consisting of the outer body havinga cavity, a case or cylinder for containing the;

explosive, and a charge of a high explosive in a frozen condition;substantially asandg 5 J at. As a new article of.-man.nfacture;agprb g frozen dynamite; su Q 

